Automatic receiving and delivering apparatus.



- 1). IRIGK. AUTOMATIG'REGEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPHIGATION FILED DEC. 4', 1912. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

H. D. IRIGK. AUTOMATIC REUEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

AP Ln 0 L y P ATI N H ED DBO 4 191 t nted ADI. 22, 1913.

A SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HHNIRQQ III it FF ill] H. 1). 13101:. I AUTOMATIC RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 4, 1912.

Patented A r. 22, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1 HARRY p. 13101:, or EL mum, ILLINOIS.

uzrom'no nnomvmc Ann DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification 61? Letters Patent. P 3,1;e jfe 1 Apr. 22, 1913.

Application filed December 4, 1912. Serial No. 735,001.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY D. IRICK, citizen of the'United States, residing at- El Dara, in the county of Pike and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Receiving lowing is a specification.

. My invention relates to new and useful vimprovements in distributing and collecting systems and in the necessary apparatus and Delivering Apparatus, of which the toltherefor. and the object of my invention isto provide asystem of the character described which, while it may be used for distributingor collecting parcels, bundles or the like in-stores or factories, or for cash carriers in stores, is particularly adapted for use in the delivering and collection of all either in cities or in rural districts. With this principal object in view, a further object of my invention is to provide "a novel and improved form of overhead-track which may be strung from the central station or post-oflice over the territory to be covered and back to the central station and upon which;the delivery and collecting-car may travel. As it is my intention to provide a self-propelled car for delivering and collecting the mail, it will ofcourse be understood that the car will travel in but one direct-ion over the track and that the track run along one side only, persons living on the otherside of the street having mail'i boxes located at the track and street from their dwellings. "A further object of my invention is to so across the support the wires which form the track rails that they may be readily tensionedgfroin one end of the track or at suitable: intervals,dependinguponthe length of the'tra clgff Aturther object of invention is 'to provide. mail receivingand mail delivering devices, both of which Will beip ositioned' adjacent each house to which the mail is to be delivered and both" ofwhich are nor mally closed and to provide in; connection withthese devices a maillcarrying device or car which in ellect 'c onstitutes the delivery I and collecting apparatus of the system, this car being arranged to open the mail receiving device at each house and deposit the partlcular mail intended for that. house therein and to further open the mail delivery device at-each house and to receive any mail matter-contained therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide a car of the self-propelledtype pro vided with a plurality of chambers or compartments, one of which holds the mail collee'ted during the passage of the car about its route, while the others hold the mail to be delivered, the car being provided with ,as many of these. latter compartments as thereare houses upon the route.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the car and compartments therein that the mail to be delivered may be automatically discharged from its compartment at the proper time and place, that is, when the delivery car is directly over the mail receiving device of the house ,to which the mail in that particular compartment is to be delivered.

A further object of my invention is to provide means'at eac h station arranged to co-act with means carried by the car for discharging the contents of a predetermined mail holding compartmentof the car.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the closure of the mail receiving device that it will automatically open by the passage of the car and at the exact moment that the mail delivery mechanism of the car is operated to properly discharge the mail in the device, the closure being further so arranged that when disengaged from the car it will close automatically to protect the mail delivered from rain or snow.

A further object of my invention is to provide the mail delivering"devi ces eachwith a closure and the mail receiving compartment of the car with a closure, these closures being so arranged in connection witlrtripping p tes or shields carried by the mail delivering devices and the car that during' thepassage of the car beneath the mailfd'elivering device, both closures are opened ati the moment when the mail re ceiving compartment ofthe car. is directly beneath the mail'delivering devicej- A further'fobject of my invention is to so arrange theFclosuresot the mail delivering device and of the mail receiving c'bmpar t ment of the car that they will be automati-' cally closed upon the disengagement of the car from the delivery device. And a still which are attached to and form a part of this application.-

In the drawings: Figure 1 1s a perspective view of a portion of my maildistributmg and collecting system, showing a delivery car about to discharge certain of its mail at one of the stations of the system; Fig. 2 is a vertical,. central longitudinal sectional view of the car and of one of the mail delivering devices by which mail to'be collected is dis-. charged into the car, the closures of the car and delivery device being both partially open; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the delivery car discharging mail into one of the mail receiving devices, 'the' latter being shown in section with its closure in open position to receivethe mail; Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the car, the track supporting poles being shown in section to avoid obstructing the view of portions of-the ca-r; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of one. of the mail delivering devices, the .car being shown in section-on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a frag mentary perspective view of the car, showing one of the trip levers by means of which the mail supporting shelves of the car are held in active position; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing one method by means of which the wires forming the car track may be properly-tensioned; Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view, showing the method of mounting-the track forming wires upon their supports. I

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in'all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

I have illustrated the employment of my system in distributing and collecting mail in rural district and the preferred embodiment of the various features of the system, best illustrated as a whole in Fig. 1 of the drawings, includes a combined delivery and receiving station located at each house .to which mail is to be delivered or from which mail is to be collected, a continuous overhead track leading from the post-office or central station to the first of these stations, from this latter station to the next and-so on around the entire route, a mail receiving device and a mail delivering. device located at each station and a self-propelled delivery and collecting car supported upon the track and movable thereon.

being braced and held in proper relation to each other by braces 14. These standards and braces maybe of any suitable design and material, but are preferably formed of metallic piping, the braces being connected to the standardsat their ends by elbows15, while the lower ends of the standards are firmly embedded in the ground or otherwise secured to rigidly support the platform.

Extending inwardly and upwardlyv from each standard and adjacent its upper end, is an L-shaped track supporting arm or bracket 16 and secured to the upper ends of these brackets are the wires forming the track rails 17. -As best illustrated inFig. 8 of the drawings, the upper ends of these arms are notched to provide seats 18 for the track wires which are held in their seats in such a'manner as to be movable longitudinally therethrough by binding bands 19. i- The ends of the track wires or rails 17'atthe central station are connected to'eye-bolts' 20, the threaded shanks of which are passed through and adjustably secured to arms 21 of a terminal bracket 22 by clamp nuts 23. I

or continued strain on the wires, may be taken up and the wires maintained at a suitable tension to properly support the car. The car adapted for movement upon the above described track, and which as a whole is designatedby the numeral 24, includes a, v

substantially rectangular shaped body member having a top wall 25, front and back walls 26 and 27, and side walls 28 and 29, this body being preferably formed of metal of as light construction as is consistentwith the strains and wear to which it will besubjected.

Carried by the forward portion of the top wall 25 are transverselyspaced apart bearings 30 in which is journaled an axle 31, the

ends of which extend beyond thesides of the.

car and carry grooved wheels 32 which engage the track 17. Similar bearings 33 mounted upon the rear portion of the top of the carform journals for a driven axle 34 upon whichare keyed wheels35, similar in construction to the wheels 32 andalso engaging the .track rail.

As previously pointed out, this car is to be of the self-propelled type and it will be understood that I do not wish in any way to and bearing by its ends against the bracket '42 carrying a trolley wheel 43.

this reason I have illustrated the car as provided with an electric motor 36 supported bracket 37 and operatively connected by a train of gears 38 with a gear 39 which is keyed upon the drive shaft 34, the top of. the car body being cut-away as at 40 to permit the mounting of this latter gear. a

A spring held trolley pole 41 of conventional type is mounted upon the rear end of the oa'r'and is electrically connected to the motor in the usual manner, the free end of this pole being provided with a trolley harp Power is supplied to the car by means of a power wire 44 which is supportedby the posts 13 through the medium of any suitable form of insulators 45, this wire being so-positioned as to be engaged at all times by the into three main compartments 46, 47 and 48 by means of a pair of spaced apart transversely extending partition walls 49 and 50,

the front and rear compartments 46 and 48 being mail holding compartments as will be hereinafter explained, while the compart ment 47 is the one in which the collected mail is held. For-this reason, the compart-..

ment 47 is provided at its lower end with a hinged closure 51 having a lock 52 by means of'which it may be secured in closed position. The top wall of thecar body isprovided centrally of this chamber 47 with an opening 53 through which the mail being collected may pass to the chamber, and ex tending vertically" upward along-each side of this opening and projecting considerably to the rear thereof, are guides 54, the upper edge portions of which are bent outwardly and then inwardly to form channels 55 in which the edges of a sliding door or closure 56 engage. A stop wall 57 also extends up wardly from the top wall of the car-body and connects the forward ends of the guides 54 to limit the closing movement of the door 56. This door is provided at its rearend with an integrally formed downwardly extending ear 58 and a rod 59 is movable through this car, one end of the rod being mounted in a bracket 60 carried by the top wall 25. of the car body and located between the guides 54. The opposite end of the rod is headed-as shown at 61 to assist in limiting the movement of the door 56and said door is normally held in closed 1 position by a coiled spring 62 positioned about .the rod 60andear 58 of the door.

The door 56 is provided adjacent its forward end with one or more upwardly directed perforated "ears 63 through which is passed a rod 64, ;the' end portions of which are bent rearwardly at right angles to the body portion as shown at 65 and pivotally connected to the intermediate portions of levers 66 which in turn are pivoted at their lower ends as shown at 67, to the guides 54. As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the arms 65 of the rod and the lever-s 66 are so proportioned that under normal conditions, with the door in closed position, the upper ends'pf the levers are directed forwardly atfan angle. It will therefore be apparent that-during the passage of the car along the track, this door may be automatically opened at any predetermined point by the proper positioning of an obstruction or trip in the path of the upper ends of the levers 66, the engagement of the levers by such a device, combined with the forward movement of the car, acting to swing the levers rearwardly andopen the door. It willalso be apparent that as soon as the levers have passed the obstruction or trip, the spring 62 will immediately closethe door and return the levers to their forwardly inclined position. Such a trip mechanism will be hereinafter fully explained in connection with a mail delivering device.

As previously noted, the forward and rear compartments 4.6 anu 48 .of the car body are intended to hold the mail which is to be 5 delivered by the car during its passage over" the route and byreferring to Fig. 5-of the ranged upon both sides of the partition walls as shown and so proportioned that when swung to horizontal position their outer edges engage against the inner faces of the side walls of the car body.

Any desirednumber of shelves may be provided and the shelves may be positioned at any distance from each other and in any desired manner within the car body with the exception that there must be as many shelves as there arestations along the route; and that no two shelves upon the same side of the car body be at the same height above the bottom of the car, the reason for these restrictions being such as will be readily; understood when certain other features of construction have been explained.

.The side walls 28 and 29 of the car body are provided with perforations 71 formed one immediately below each ofthe shelves when thelatter are in horizontal position and pins 72 are movable through these per foratio-ns to extend beneath the shelves and support the same in elevated position. Each of these pinsris pivoted by its outer end to one arm of a bell crank lever 73 which'in turn is pivotally supported between spaced ears T lextending from the side w lls 2S and 2,) and the free arm of which extends at right angles to the car body, these levers be ing so mounted that upon the rearward swinging of this free arm, the pins 72 will be withdrawn a sullicie 'it-distance to disengage them from the shelves and permit the latter to fall by gravity and discharge their contents. These levers are normally maintained in active position to hold the pins in place by coiled springs 75, the coiled portions of which are mount-ed about a stud 76 extending from one of the cars 74 and the free ends of which engage one a'gainst the for ard edge of the stud carrying ear and the other against the rear edge of the free arm of the lever, this construction be ing clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawlugs.

From theabove description it will be apparent that in order to drop any one of'the shelves to discharge its contents, it is only necessary that provision be made for swinging its bell crank lever 73 at the proper time and inasmuch as no two of these levers upon the same side of the car body will be at the same level, it will be apparent that a suitable obstruction may be positioned at each station in such a manner as to engage a predetermined lever and so drop a predetermined shelf to discharge its contents at that station.

It will, however, of course be apparent that in order to discharge mail matter supported upon one of the upper shelves, the mail matter *arried by all of the shelves below the same, in the same compartment, must have been previously discharged, that is, the shelves should, in all cases, be dis charged in order, coinniei'icing at the bottom and going to the top. F or this reason, the mail to be delivered will be placed in the car in the order in which the houses at which is to be delivered'occupy along the route.

Having thus described the chief features of the mail delivery and collecting car and the main details of its operation. I will now describe the mail receiving and delivering devices which are located at the stations and which are operated by the passage of the car and which in turn operate the door 56 of the car and the trip levers 73 thereof.

Each of the mail 1;'ecci'-.'ing devices com prises a substantially rectangular shaped body member '77 including a bottom 7 8 resting upon the platform 11 and -vertically extending side walls 79 and end walls 80, the side walls and one of the end walls being provided adjacent their upper ends with extending side walls 79 and end walls 80, adapted to receive the edges. of a sliding door or closure 82. This body member 77 is dividedtransversely by a centrally positione d partition wall 83 and the door 82 is so proportioned that in closed position it completely closes that part of the device between the side walls, the rear end wall and the partition wall, while in open position it occupies the place shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The forward end of the door is provided wit-h an upwardly directed perforated ear Set and a rod 85 extends through this car and is secured thereto by clamping nutsx86. The free end of this rod is movable through a guide arm 87 of a bracket 88 carried by the front end of the body member 77 and a coiled expansion spring 89 is mounted about the rod and bears by its ends against the guide arm 87 and the ear 8st of the door 82 to normally hold the latter in closed position.

A rod 90 is passedthrough further perforations in the car 84 of the cover and its ends are bent rearwardly at right angles to its body portion and passed through perforations formed in the sidearms 91 of a door operating lever 92. This operating lever includes the side arms 91 which are pivoted by their free ends to the sides of the normal conditions, that is when the door is closed, extends in nearly a vertical position, its upperfend being slightly inclined forwardly. I i

The mail receiving device at each station is located upon the platform in a position depending upon the position within the car of the shelf which carries the mail for that station. For instance. if the shelf is mounted at the right hand side of the car, the mail receiving device is mounted ,at the right hand side of the platform, while if the shelf is mounted at the left hand side of the car, the mail receiving device is mounted at the left hand side of the platform, the device in either case being so located that the-mail dropping from a predetermined shelf in the car will fall into the device when its door is opened.

In order to insure the opening of the door at the proper moment, the forward end of the car is provided with a forwardly and upwardly directed trip plate 95, the upper end of which is curved inwardly and secured to the upper portion of the car. The inclined lower face of this trip plate, upon the approach of the car, engages against the connecting web 94 of the door operating lever and the passage of the car over the device forces this lever downwardly to open the door, the door being then held openby the car until the latter has passed completely over the same.

In order to provide means for releasing one of the car shelves to cause the discharge Qflany mail for the station, at the proper time, I have provided an upwardly directed standard'96'having an inwardly directed term1nal97 at its upper end which extends in the path of-cnc of the bell crank levers of the car and which therefore releases the shelf ordinarilysupported by the pin car ried" by said lever, It will of course be understood that the position of the standard 96 and its height may be so regulated at each station as to cause it to engage a pro-determined'lever upon the car and release 'a predetermined shelf. It .will therefore be apparent: the mail is arranged inthe;

.5-" car in"such a maiiner that the mail to be left at the first houses is positioned on the lower-shelves andthe mail to be left at the last'hou'scs positioned on the upper sheives, a proper positioning of the trip standards 96in; the'variousstationswill absolutely pro vide means for releasing the shelves at theproper time to discharge their contents in the properinail receiving devices. It wilL therefore be understood that I have provided means for insuring the -simultaneous opening (if tl lfi' mail. receiving device and releasing o filapredetermined shelf inthe car to dischargejthe mailsuppoiited thereoninto the lt will of course'be apparent that in a of thischaracter, the tracks and platform must be supported a sufiicient distance aha-v4 fthegr'ound to. be out of the way and for this'fre' aso n, in order to provide forthc- Inore ready obtaining'of the mail dropped intolthemaillreceivingdevices at the stanone, I'provideeach of the platforms 11 with'an openingQS, which registers with a v corres'pondin'g opening" 99 formed in the bot'toni gofthe'amail receivingdevice. A mail chiite '1OQ' leajdsf'fr'om this openingto an opening. gtormedjin'the top of a mail box 101 onefpf jcthe mailreceiving devices immediatfely passes through themail chute and into its box-from which. it may be at anytime taken by; the person to whom the box belongs git, in the meantime, being protected from others:.by .lthe locking of the mail box door. I

hEa -ho f the mail delivering devices, by

meansof whichan'y mail to be sent by personsalong-the route may be delivered to the car,,cons1sts pof a substantia ly rectangular shaped housing 103 V closed at 1tsuppenend V .1 andopen at its lower/end, as best shown in 1 2 been drawings.

This housing is supported? directly. beneath the forward brace member 1 1 of the station by 1 any suit-i able means such as a metal strip ltltsecured ;bi-its;nds to theflower' face .of-the brace and.

a-seeondsti'iplm passed betweenthe central the passage oft 1 the proper time.

portion of the first strip and the brace and secured by its ends to the top of the housing,

these strips being preferably secured to each andat its forward end and provided-centrally with a transversely extending partition wall 107. The lower edges of the side walls and of the rear end wall are channeled to form guides 108 forthe edges of a sliding door or. closure 109 which normally closes the bottom of the casing at the rear of the partition wallto form a mail receptacle;

Ropes or cables 110 are secured by their ends tot-he opposite ends of the casing and are passed "upwardly through openings 111 formed in the top of the housing, about pulleys 11:2 mounted upon the top of the housirig'and over pulleys 113 and 114; carried by one of the elbows l5 connecting one of the. standards and the brace. and are then assed downwardly and wound about a winding drum 115 Wl'ilCh'lS operated by a hand crank- 116. carrying a pawl 117 for engagement with a fixed ratchet wheel 118.

The platform ll is cut-away as at .119 immediately below the mail delivering device anch it will therefore. be apparent that by means of the winding drum or reel 115 and cables 110. the main body'or casing106 of the mail delivering device may be readily lowered to the ground to permit a person having mail to be collected to place the same in the casing which is then raised into positionwithin the housing. as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. bein r held a ainst return movement bv the engaging of the pawl 117 with the ratchet wheel.

In order to provide means for-opening the dopr 109 of the mail delivering device at the proper time, I have provided the door ad: jacent its rear end with a perforated ear 120 through which is passed a rod 121, the end portions of which are bent at ri ht angles to the, body port on and pivotally se cured to the intermediate portions 6r lever arms 122 which are pivoted by their upper ends to the sides of the casing or body 106 and which are connected at their lower ends by anfintegrally formed'web or trip plate 123. The car. is provided at its upper forwardend with annpwardly and rearwardly directedshield or trip plate 124 which eX-- tends rearwardly over the'forwa-rd axle in position to enga e that-rip plate'123 during lie car beneath the mail deliveri'ng device andso open the door109 at 1 In, order to: provide for "a simultaneous opening of the door 56 ofthe car With the g ided a shield or trip platel25 which is referably formed integrally with the rear end wall of the housing 103 and which projects' rearwardly and downwardly in position to engage thev lever arm 66 by which the door 56 is operated. The trip plates 125 and 124 and the lever mechanisms 66 and 19.3, are so proportioned and arranged with respect to each other that both doors will be opened at the same moment and when the door opening in the car is directly below the mail holding portion of the mail delivering device,the reby insuring the dropping of any mail contained therein into the mail receiving-compartment 47 of the car. In order to normally hold the door 109 in normal position, I have. provided a coiled spring 126, one-end of which is connected to one of the levers 122 and the opposite end of which is connected to one of the sides of the casing 01'' body member 106, this spring being so arranged. that as soon as the lever mechanism 123 is released by the passage of the car, the

door will be returned to closed position.

Having thus described the'constructionof my .improved delivery and collection system, I will now describe its operation. The mail in the post-ofiice or central station is of course assorted in the usual manner, but instead of being placed in boxes in the office or given to a carrier for distribution, it is placed in one of the cars above described and. upon particular shelves therein, a shelf being provided in the car for each person living along the route'ovcr which the car passes. In arranging the mail in the car, great care must be taken that the mail for the first stations along the route be placed upon the lower shelves in the car and that no mail be placed upon an upper shelf that i is to be delivered before any mail placed upon a shelf below. This system of arrang ing the mail in the car should be careffillyi worked out when the system is installed'and l the trip standards for releasing the shelves should, of course, be so arranged with re-' 'spect to the various stations as to release the proper shelf at the proper station.

'VVhen the mail has been placed in the car the current isturned on the trolley wire or a switch between the trolley and motor closed, as the case may be,'and the car started upon its trip. When the car reaches the first station its trip plate 95 engages the lever mechanism 92 of the station to open the door of the mail receiving device of said station,

while'at the same moment the terminal of the trip standard 96 at that, station engages the free arm of one of the levers 73 of the car to release the proper shelf and permit any mail which may be placed thereon to fall into the mail receiving device from which it will pass by means of the chute to over the mail receiving-device, the spring 89 immediately closes the door 82 and therefore prevents all entry of rain. or snow into the device and chute and so'to the. mail box. T v

109 of the latter, the trip plate 125 of the mail delivering device in the meantime engaging the levers 6.6 to open the door 56of the car, this simultaneous opening of the doors 109 and 56 permitting the discharge of any mail'contained in the mail delivering device into the mail holding chamber 47 beyond the mail deliveringedevice both-doors are automatically closed. This operation is of the car. As soon as the-car has passedrepeated at all the stations along the route,

the car leaving any mail which it may have for'each station at its station and collecting any mail contained in the mail delivering devices of the stations. I v v As themanner of lowering the mail delivering device and placing the mail therein tion has aheadybeen described in connection with the construction of the mail delivering device, anymore, detail description of the same is thought to be unnecessary.- f

number of different tracks or routes may be and returning the device to operative .posi-' It will of course be. understood that any;

run from the-central station or' post-oflice and that a different car may be employed upon each vroutelor that more than one car may be emplo" ed ,upon a single route, one

of the route and then merely collecting t e ,mail

car carryingt email for a portio for the'remainder'of' the route, wh le the "other car carries the mail for the last part of the route. I

I do not wish to cific details of construction as various from the spirit of my invention} For instance, the cars may be so arranged that limit myself to any spe- '7 changes may be made..- without ,-depart-i ng;

each car will traverse the complete route leaving mail at all the stationsbut'passing freely beneath the mail delivering devices and therefore collecting no mail, while a special car for collecting the mail may be ing constructed without mail holding shelves sent out along the route, this second car beor trip levers and merely collecting the mail along the route. Furthermore, although an electrically driven car possesses many advantages, under ordinary circumstances,

' over cars of other types," it will ofcourse be understood that I may employ a spring the mail box. As soon as the car has passed I drive or in fact any other suitable form of propelling mechanism for operating the cars. Then again although I' have illustrated and described the mail' delivering device as mounted in advance 'of the mail receiving device, it could, with equal facility, be mounted at the rear of the receiving device without in any way afi'ecting the operation or efliciency of the system.

Moreover, although I have'described the system as one employed for distributing and collecting mail, it will 'of course be under stood that it maybe employed for any other purpose to which it may be adapted or i )I which it may seem advisable to adapt it, suchas the delivering and collecting of parcels in stores, the transmission of books in libraries and public buildings andthe like.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2 1. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a car movable over the tracks, a plurality of stations located, along. the

station, each receiving ,device including a casing provided with a sliding closure, means for normally holding the closure in closed position, a lever device'pivoted to the casing and extending upwardly'therefrom in position tobe engaged by the car upon the passageof the latter overthe receiving device,. and connecting means between the upper ends of said lever device and the closure whereby the depression of the. lever device will momentarily open theclosure.

: 9. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a car on said-tracks, a pluralityv of stations, and a receiving device located at each statiomeach receiving device including a casing having a slidable closure,

means for normally maintaining :the closure in operative position, an upwardly directed lever device pivoted to the casing and adapted upon-depression to open the closure,"s ai,d

device extending in the path of the car, and

a receiving chute leading. from the casing and terminating in a bozc'having a-lock, closure. I 3. A distribution and collection system'in cluding tracks, a distributing and collecting 1 car suspended from the tracks and movable thereon, aplurality of stations located at I intervals along the tracks, and a delivery device supported above the-tracks at-ea'ch station,each delivery device includinga cas .-ing open at its lower end, a slidable door nomnally 'closing said open lower end, a

' i at. distribution-and collection system in- .55,

tracks, stationslocated at intervals" along the tracks,-a receiving device jlocated at each station, a trip standard located at each station, a distributing and collecting car movable over the tracks and open at its bottom, a plurality of shelves swingingly mounted in the 'car, means for" normally holding the shelves in operative-position, levers connected to said holding means-and movable'to throw the same into inoperative I posit-ion, each of said leversextendin g intothe path of. the trip standard of one of the stations. r 5. A distribution .and collection system including tracks, stations located along the tracks, a receiving device located at each station, a car=movable along :the tracks, a plurality of vertically. spaced apart swinging shelves mounted in-the. same, means including swingingly mounted levers for normally supporting the shelves in horizontal position, and a trip standard located at each station, each of said standardsbeing positioned.

r to extend in to path of one of the levers..- tracks, and a receiving device located at each 6. A distribution and collection system including tracks, stations locatedat intervals along the tracks, a receiving device located at each station and provided with a sliding closure,- means for normally holding said closure in operative, position, a car movable 'over the tracks and-provided with a plurality of swingingly mounted shelves, means for normally holding the shelves inraised position, means operable by the movement of the car over the receivingv 'device for opening the closure of the latter, and "means located adjacent the receiving device for simultaneously releasing one of the shelvesf 7. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a deliverin =device located above the tracks, a norm closed sliding door mounted in the bottom'of said deliver; ingdevice, a" collecting and distributing car movable along the tracks and beneath the delivery device, a. normally-closed sliding v door in, the top-of said car, and mean's'for simultaneously 'openin the door. of the-delivery device and the] nor of the car when the car is ilhfllfidlfitGlV below the delivery device. A i i *8. A distribution and collection :s ys'tem-sjinclud-ing tracks, a pluratity Of StaiIiOIiSZiIO cat'ed' at intervals along the tracka'af'delivery device supported at each 'stationjahove the tracks," said delivery device -having Ia normallyclosed sliding door, a car movable along the tracks and provided with ja re- V ceiving compartment, a-norf'mally closed door downwardly dep'ei ding "lever device operaf tively .connectedtothe door and adapted for said compartmenhand means for simu'l taneou'sly opening the doors of the delivery livery-device.into the car.

9.- A distribution and collection systemineluding tracks, stations at intervals along the tracks, a delivery device supported above the sides of the car and beneath theedges thetracks at each station, each delivery deof the shelves,and springs normallyholding vice including a. housing open at its lower the levers in position to maintain the pins end and provided with a rearwardly dibeneath the shelves. I

-15 rected trip shield, a casing. open at its upper 14. A self-propelled car for a distribution end and adapted to seat in the lower end of and collection system, including a body the housing, a normally closed sliding door member having longitudinallyextending closing the bottom ofsaid casing, means for partition walls, a plurality of shelves swingraising and lowering the easing into the poingly mounted upon. one side of said parti- 10 sition in the housing, 'a car movable along tion walls, each of said shelves being at a 75 the tracks, said car having a normally closed different height, a plurality of shelves door adapted to be opened by the trip shield swingingly mounted upon the other side of of the housing during the passage of the car said partition walls and at different heights beneath the delivery device, and means operfrom each other, pins extending through the Y gable by the -car-for simultai'ieously opening side walls of the car and beneath the free Fthe door of the delivery device. edges of the shelves to normally support the 10. A distribution and collection system si me in operative position, bell-crank levers including a plurality of delivery devices pivoted upon the sides of the cars and opera each including a, housing open at its lower tivelyconnected by one arm to the pins, and end and supported by its top, a body'memsprings engagingthe levers to normally hold 85 ber open at its upper end and adapted for the same in operative position with their telescopic engagement in the housing, a free arms extending laterall from the sides sliding closure for the lower end of said of the can A body member, means for normally holding 15. A distribution and collection system the'closure in closed position, a lever device including tracks, receiving devices located 0 movable upwardly to open the closure, and at intervals along the tracks, adistributing means for raising and lowering the body ear movable over thetracks and provided member into and outof the housing. with a plurality of swingingly mounted 11, ,A distribution and collection system shelves, and means positioned adjacent each 80 including a distributing and collecting car, receiving device for selectively tilting one of 95 transverse partition walls dividing the car said shelves during thepassage of the car to into a central and end compartments, the discharge its contents into the adjacent rebottom of the car being open, a closure for ceiving device.

thebottom of the central compartment, and 16. A distribution and collection system a sliding closure normally held in operative including tracks, a delivery car movable position for the top of the central compartalong the tracks, a )lurality of swingingly mcnt. I mounted shelves positioned in the car, and

12. A distribution and collection system means located along the tracksat intervals including a selfpropelled car, transverse for selectively releasing the shelves to dis- 40 partitions dividing the car into a-central and charge their contents from the car. 195

end compartments, closures for the upper 17. A distribution and collection system and lower ends of the central compartment, including a plurality of delivery devices the lower ends of the endcompartments beeach including a housing open at its lower ing open, longitudinally extending partiend, a body HIQH'ilJt-Bl open at its upper end tions dividing the end compartments, a pluand adapted for telescopic engagement in 119 rality of shelves swingingly mounted upon the housing, and a closure for the lower end the longitudinal partitions, means carried by of the bodymember. the car for normally supporting said shelves A distribution and collection system in raised position. including tracks, a' car movable along said 13. A distribution and collection system. tracks, and delivery devices positioned at 5 including a self-propelled car, transverse spaced intervals along the tracks, each departitions dividing the car into a central livery device including telescopic housing and end compartments, closures for the members, one of which is provided with a [upper and lower ends of the central cognclosure adapted to be opened by the passage 'partment, the lower ends of the end comof the car beneath the same. 20

partments-being open, longitudinally ex- 19. A distribution and-collection system tending partitions dividing the end compartincluding tracks, a car movable along said ments, a plurality of shelves swingingly tracks, and deliverydevices positioned at mounted upon the longitudinal partitions, spaced intervals along the tracks, each de- "160 and means carried by the car fornormally' livery device including telescopic housing 25 supporting said shelves in raised position, members, one of which is provided with a said means including bell-crank levers closure adapted to be opened by the passage swingingly -mount-ed upon the sides of the .of the car beneath the same, and means for car, pins pivoted by one end tothe advance raising and lowering said housing member 66 arms of said levers and extendingthrough having the closure. a

20. distribution and collection; system "incll ldin a oar'dijvidedz'into compartments, cl sures or the upperand lower ends of oneofthe compartments, a plurality of shelves .5 swingingly mounted in another 'c'ompartr mentgi'and means-carried by the car for nor-. .ma111y-supportingsaid shelves in horizontal pb ni 21.1A- distribution and collection systemii b inemding 'a-ear divided into compartments,

elo'sures for the upper and lower'ends of one oi .theoompartment's, a plurality of shelves Swingingly mounted in another compartment, and means carried by the car for nor- .mally supporting said shelves in horizontalposition, the suppgrting means on either side of the "car all levels. 4 x

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY D. 'IRICKL [L. s.] Witnesses:

BROKAW,

J.- D. YOAKLE Y ing located 'at difierent 

